Teacher Tips
Exploring Art Museums with Students
By Susanne G. Victor
Substitute Art Teacher
Henry County Schools
McDonough, Georgia
Visiting art museums can be an eye-opening experience, opening the mind to a wide variety of possibilities. How did different cultures view the world? How did they develop intellectually and artistically? For instance, in visiting a museum showing ancient Phoenician artifacts, you can see the progression of their knowledge and abilities in using the materials available to them. The Phoenicians were the first to truly create beautiful works of blown and molded glass. (These abilities were later 'lost' and not regained until hundreds of years later, during the Renaissance.)
Art teachers, through books, prints, the Internet, and other sources, can show students a variety of artworks from the same time period, emphasizing the differences in construction materials, detail, and cultural perspective. For example, art created in Rome depicts conquerors and rulers, while pleasantly organized Pompeii expresses beauty. Seeing the actual artwork or artifact will reinforce these differences and give students a physical, indelible understanding of that culture.
After the museum visit, help students connect to the artworks by choosing what they liked most in the exhibit, and creating their own versions of the artifacts using art materials at hand. During studio time, make sure to reinforce methods for using different kinds of art media.
Encourage students to share their artworks with their families and discuss what inspired them. It will be interesting for them to see the difference between what they have read about a culture and the details and workmanship of an actual artifact. Students may have found the artifacts to be much larger or smaller than they expected. Perhaps the craftsmanship and attention to detail was greater than they thought it would be. Encouraging students to explore art museums in a wonderful way to make history and culture come alive.
Art All Around: Teaching About Careers in the Arts
By Christine Thompson
Art Teacher
Luella Elementary School
Locust Grove, GA
Art teachers have a responsibility to teach students not just about creating and looking at art, but also about how the arts fit into a well-rounded future. Teaching students about opportunities in the arts can create great excitement in your school and classroom. Here are some basic ideas to help jump-start the enthusiasm:
- Use the public spaces around your school to promote the arts. Use visuals in the hallways to highlight different art careers. Display information on careers offered in the arts with corresponding art works.
- Ask the librarian to help you set up a display of art career books in the media center.
- Create an "in-house field trip". Invite artists from the surrounding community to visit your classroom to show and share with students. You can even set up Creating Stations for the students to "try out" different types of art media.
- Take a field trip to a local art museum. Ask if a curator or museum educator will spend a few minutes talking about what they do with students.
There are also lots of ways to teach students about art careers in your classroom. Here are a few ideas:
- Highlight an "Art Student of the Month" on a bulletin board. Interview the student and use their statements as part of the display. Be sure to ask them questions about their aspirations in the arts.
- Create links from your school's Web page to art career Web sites.
- Find the addresses of Contemporary artists and have your students write letters to the artists asking them questions about their work and their inspirations.
- Have art books readily available for students who have finished their projects.
- Expose your students to a variety of art media through a broad array of studio projects.
Opening the eyes of your students to the opportunities and careers in the arts may be a life changing experience for them!